The MCU Countup! #1. Captain America: TWS

In anticipation of Avengers: Age of Ultron coming out next week, here's my ranking of the 10 current MCU movies as they stand. I'll be doing one at a time but rather than doing the typical countdown, I'll be doing a "countup". Why? Because I'm a jerk who goes against the grain.

Let's start with #1:

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

When Marvel announced they would be adapting a screen version of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, comic fans rejoiced. The notion of bringing one of comic's most celebrated storylines, especially a recent one, was enough to get any Cap fan excited. Little did we know that the fresh faced Russo Bros. could actually deliver beyond our expectations. It was being billed as a spy thriller, and it wasn't difficult to see why upon an initial viewing. As a diehard fan of the Jason Bourne trilogy, I relished the similarities between the two. The gritty realism of it, paired with astounding fight choreography, made it the spiritual successor to the Bourne films in both style and execution. But it also served to push comic book movies forward as genre films, and I don't say that disparagingly. After all, this wasn't just another superhero flick. This was an espionage actioner of the highest order - something any fan of spy thrillers could enjoy.

The Russo's deft ability in crafting an intense build of suspense in big moments sets the film apart (See: The Highway Fight Scene). As per example, the fight choreography is, quite simply, the strongest we've seen in any comic book film to date. There's a palpable sense of danger and the fights convey that through earnest realism and badassery.

Beyond that, this movie proved once again - like The Dark Knight before it - that superhero movies could be more than just that. It proved that these films could strive beyond their typical trappings and play equally well as straight-up dramas; Ones with hefty, relevant themes. Without delving into a length analysis of the film's themes (perhaps a discussion for another day?), rest assured CA:TWS represents all that is possible with this particular slice of blockbuster entertainment. For this reason, along with its tightly written script and sly Bourne coolness, Captain America: The Winter Soldier tops my list of MCU films. Move over, Thor: The Dark World! ;P

y does every1 copy me.

1) winter soldier

2) guardians

3) avengers

4) iron man

5) Thor 2 (yes sir)

6) Thor

7) Cap 1

8) Iron man 2

9) Incredible Hulk

10) iron man 3

Great review man.

Looking forward to your post in The Dark World.

Nice post, this is so far my favorite mcu film but that could change when avengers aou comes out

who are you?

not bad

Thanks man! I can dig a fellow Thor fan :)

I actually really enjoy it. My main gripe is Malekith being one dimensional.

Hey I hear that! Tough for me to pick one favorite, but that's why I went for what I think is the "best". I think TWS is the most sound film but there's so many MCU movies I enjoy equally as much.

@extremis: I did this exact thing yesterday

@extremis Nice break down of TWS, I'd say this and the first Iron Man hold the top spots for me with Cap slightly getting the edge for all the reasons you state, it definitely went beyond simply being a standard comic book superhero film.

Looking forward to your take on The Dark World, I'd agree Makekith was painfully one-dimensional, though I think that was Marvel overcompensating and trying to go for a more "menacing" villain, which unfortunately didn't pan out.

Thanks!

Yeah you make a good pt about Marvel most likely overcompensating because of their previous films. Still wish they capitalized on that chilling design of the character by giving him some more room to breath as a character. Would have loved to understand his motives better, maybe even some relatable tragedy in his life.